Van

Van is the small town in which Leila grows up. She lives in Van with Binnaz, Suzan, Haroun, and Tarkan until she is 16. Life in Van is restricting and limited. Leila has nowhere to escape, her friendship with her neighbor Sabotage Sinan her only comfort. When her father removes her from school, Leila panics, unable to bear the idea of living in her father’s home until she is married off. After miscarrying her uncle’s child, she flees to Istanbul, never to return to Van.

Istanbul

Istanbul is where Leila moves after departing from Van. It is here that she begins working as a prostitute for Bitter Ma. Though often miserable and despairing, Leila forms the majority of her most significant friendships in the city. She, Nalan, Sinan, Humeyra, Jameelah, and Zaynab, all came to Istanbul from similarly disparaging pasts. Their unified friendship allows them to survive...